Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by tfinniga 3158 days ago
Last year there were 29,000 categories that could be targeted. If an ad sales rep wanted to close a deal, how difficult would it be to add one more for recent burn victims, or people who recently bought a specific product?

From the links that m_ke posted, facebook already has ties to loyalty card information, so it's very possible that they didn't need to do any inference, they just had the data directly.

In any case, the main point is that facebook doesn't need to listen to what people are saying, it has a ton of other data streams that could explain the stories in the link.
2 comments
hellweaver666 3158 days ago
What would the point be in advertising a burn cream to someone that just bought a burn cream? It's not like it's a common reoccurring purchase (like Toothpaste for example).

Like the article says, it's probably just the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon* at work. It's like when you buy a new car - you suddenly start seeing that same model of car everywhere.

* https://www.damninteresting.com/the-baader-meinhof-phenomeno...

link
lolc 3157 days ago
I think the proposed logic here is "a person like you buys burn cream so we advertise burn cream to people like you." In this scenario the person who actually bought the item will get the ad too.

To me, advertising a product to people who already bought it is a sound strategy. I see no contradiction. I'd rather like to hear a cogent argument as to why that is wasted effort, as is usually implied.

In your example, maybe I left the bottle of burn cream at the office. So I will want to get another one on the way home. It's effective to get reminded in my Facebook about that item (and the brand) isn't it? Yes it's creepy but it works.

link
reaperducer 3157 days ago
> facebook doesn't need to listen to what people are saying, it has a ton of other data streams

The same could be said for any of those data streams. But just because Big F has access to those other sources of data doesn't mean it excludes voice recognition.

I'd be very surprised if FB wasn't in this arena. That's how big tech companies work these days — they do what everyone else is doing. Like getting into self-driving cars.

Apple[1], Google, Amazon, MS, etc... all have voice recognition boxes. FB doesn't need to market a box for your living room, it already has one in everyone's pocket.

([1] Apple says it doesn't use any of your Siri words against you. If you don't trust FB's word, you might no trust Apple's, either. But at least on the Mac you can keep dictation off the internet, if you choose.)

link